A Report on the Status of Sabbatical Leaves for Administrators in California Junior Colleges.

Bandley, Marion K.

This recent study investigates sabbatical leave policy for administrators in 80 California Junior Colleges. Except for a few newly-formed colleges or those having boards generally unfavorable to the idea, most of the colleges responding to the survey indicated some type of policy for granting such leaves. Justification for these leaves ranges from personal study, travel, or research, to the use of this time for mental and physical rehabilitation. The duration of leave varied from two months to a year, though most seem to favor two or three months. Compensation is based on a variety of criteria, including comparable teacher's salary, and administrative pay less a certain percentage. For a year's absence, a majority of colleges provide 50 per cent pay (although a few go as high as 75 per cent for a year), and full pay for a semester. Administrative hardships created by the individual's absence appear to be the major obstruction to granting sabbaticals. Presently, only six of the responding colleges that indicate a policy of providing leave for a quarter to a year's duration state that they have granted administrators leave under these policies. The trend, however, based on comments made, indicates an increase in the number of administrators to be granted sabbaticals in the next few years. (JO)